National crude oil refinery development act : hearing before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate, pursuant to S. Res. 45, the National fuels and energy policy study, Ninety-third Congress, second session, on S. 2743 ... May 29 and 30, 1974

"Serial no. 93-27 (92-62)"

Reengineering helps improve materials procurement in Indian oil refinery

The materials management function is always a major concern to the management of any organisation as high inventory and inefficient procurement processes have a significant effect on profitability. The problems multiply in the face of a very dynamic business environment, as is the present case in India. Hence, the existing system of materials planning, procurement processes and inventory management require reviewing with respect to the changed business environment. This study shows a radical improvement in materials procurement function of an Indian petroleum refinery through Business Process Reengineering (BPR) by analysing current process, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing reengineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on existing processes of 'material planning and procurement' and 'warehousing and surplus disposal'. The reengineered processes for the materials management function triggered several improvement projects that were identified by the group of executives who took part in the reengineering exercise. Those projects were implemented in an integrated framework, with the application of state of the art information technology tools and building partnership alliance among all stakeholders. Considerable improvements in overall functions of the organisation are observed, along with financial benefits. Copyright © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Re-engineering materials management: a case study on an Indian refinery

Materials management function is always a major concern to the management of any industrial organisation as high inventory and an inefficient procurement process affect the profitability to a great extent. Problems multiply due to a very current business environment in India. Hence, existing materials planning and procurement processes and inventory management systems require a re-look with respect to a changing business environment. This study shows a radical improvement in materials management function of an Indian petroleum refinery through business process re-engineering (BPR) by analysing current processes, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing re-engineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on existing processes of “materials planning and procurement” and “warehousing and surplus disposal”. The re-engineered processes for materials management function trigger a few improvement projects that were identified by the group of executives who took part in the re-engineering exercise. Those projects were implemented in an integrated framework with the application of the state of art information technology tools.

An investigation of management accounting control systems in the palm oil industry:a sociomaterial approach to practice change

The primary aim of this research is to understand what constitutes management accounting and control (MACs) practice and how these control processes are implicated in the day to day work practices and operations of the organisation. It also examines the changes that happen in MACs practices over time as multiple actors within organisational settings interact with each other. I adopt a distinctive practice theory approach (i.e. sociomateriality) and the concept of imbrication in this research to show that MACs practices emerge from the entanglement between human/social agency and material/technological agency within an organisation. Changes in the pattern of MACs practices happens in imbrication processes which are produced as the two agencies entangle. The theoretical approach employed in this research offers an interesting and valuable lens which seeks to reveal the depth of these interactions and uncover the way in which the social and material imbricate. The theoretical framework helps to reveal how these constructions impact on and produce modifications of MACs practices. The exploration of the control practices at different hierarchical levels (i.e. from the operational to middle management and senior level management) using the concept of imbrication process also maps the dynamic flow of controls from operational to top management and vice versa in the organisation. The empirical data which is the focus of this research has been gathered from a case study of an organisation involved in a large vertically integrated palm oil industry company in Malaysia specifically the refinery sector. The palm oil industry is a significant industry in Malaysia as it contributed an average of 4.5% of Malaysian Gross Domestic Product, over the period 1990 -2010. The Malaysian palm oil industry also has a significant presence in global food oil supply where it contributed 26% of the total oils and fats global trade in 2010. The case organisation is a significant contributor to the Malaysian palm oil industry. The research access has provided an interesting opportunity to explore the interactions between different groups of people and material/technology in a relatively heavy process food industry setting. My research examines how these interactions shape and are shaped by control practices in a dynamic cycle of imbrications over both short and medium time periods.

The advantage of Spanish multinational enterprises in Latin America

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) from Spain made large foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Latin America between 1990 and 2002, making Spain the second largest direct investor in this region since 1998, behind the United States. This dissertation explains the reasons that led Spanish firms to make these FDIs, as well as their operations in Latin America. Seven Spanish MNEs were included in this study, BBVA and SCH (banking), Telefónica (telecommunications), Endesa, Iberdrola and Unión Fenosa (public utilities), and Repsol-YPF (oil and natural gas). Quantitative and qualitative data were used. Data were collected from the firms' annual reports, from their archives and from personal interviews with senior executives, as well as from academic and specialized publications. ^ Results indicate that the large Spanish FDIs in Latin America were highly concentrated in a few firms from five sectors. The FDIs of these firms alone accounted for 70 percent of total Spanish FDI in Latin America in this period. The reasons for these investments were firm-specific and sector specific. A series of institutional conditions existed in Spain between the 1970s and the 1990s that allowed the employees of the firms to develop the knowledge and devise strategies to adjust to that set of conditions. First, the policies of the Spanish state favored the creation of large firms in these sectors, operating under conditions of monopoly sometimes. Secondly, the consumers put pressure on the firms to provide better and cheaper products as the Spanish economy grew and modernized. Thirdly, the employees of the firms had to adjust their services and products to the demands of the consumers and to the constraints of the state and the market. They adjusted the internal organization of the firm to be able to produce the goods and services that the market demanded. Externally, they also adopted patterns of interaction with outside agents and institutions. This patterned behavior was the “corporate culture” of each firm and the “normative framework” in which their employees operated. When the managers of the firms perceived that there were similar conditions in Latin America, they decided to operate there as well by making FDIs. ^

Dynamic fault tree analysis with PEWMA modeling of event rates and Bayesian updating of material balance parameters using MCMC

This research explores Bayesian updating as a tool for estimating parameters probabilistically by dynamic analysis of data sequences. Two distinct Bayesian updating methodologies are assessed. The first approach focuses on Bayesian updating of failure rates for primary events in fault trees. A Poisson Exponentially Moving Average (PEWMA) model is implemnented to carry out Bayesian updating of failure rates for individual primary events in the fault tree. To provide a basis for testing of the PEWMA model, a fault tree is developed based on the Texas City Refinery incident which occurred in 2005. A qualitative fault tree analysis is then carried out to obtain a logical expression for the top event. A dynamic Fault Tree analysis is carried out by evaluating the top event probability at each Bayesian updating step by Monte Carlo sampling from posterior failure rate distributions. It is demonstrated that PEWMA modeling is advantageous over conventional conjugate Poisson-Gamma updating techniques when failure data is collected over long time spans. The second approach focuses on Bayesian updating of parameters in non-linear forward models. Specifically, the technique is applied to the hydrocarbon material balance equation. In order to test the accuracy of the implemented Bayesian updating models, a synthetic data set is developed using the Eclipse reservoir simulator. Both structured grid and MCMC sampling based solution techniques are implemented and are shown to model the synthetic data set with good accuracy. Furthermore, a graphical analysis shows that the implemented MCMC model displays good convergence properties. A case study demonstrates that Likelihood variance affects the rate at which the posterior assimilates information from the measured data sequence. Error in the measured data significantly affects the accuracy of the posterior parameter distributions. Increasing the likelihood variance mitigates random measurement errors, but casuses the overall variance of the posterior to increase. Bayesian updating is shown to be advantageous over deterministic regression techniques as it allows for incorporation of prior belief and full modeling uncertainty over the parameter ranges. As such, the Bayesian approach to estimation of parameters in the material balance equation shows utility for incorporation into reservoir engineering workflows.

La privatización de la identidad petrolera : De la ilusión la desarraigo

En el presente trabajo estudiamos el proceso de conformación y fragmentación identitaria de los ex trabajadores de una de las empresas petroleras estatales de América Latina más ;importante que fue privatizada en los años 90, la compañía Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) de la República Argentina. La identidad laboral de los ex trabajadores petroleros será aprehendida a partir de la reconstrucción de las trayectorias laborales de veinte ex obreros de la Refinería ubicada en la ciudad de Ensenada, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Así entonces en primer lugar presentamos las relaciones existentes entre el mundo del trabajo (la fábrica) y la comunidad de Ensenada en sentido amplio durante los años de auge de la producción petrolera estatal para mostrar la importancia que esta relación tuvo en las identidades de los trabajadores petroleros. En segundo lugar desarrollamos un apartado teórico en el que especificamos el concepto de identidad laboral que utilizamos. En tercer lugar realizamos la reconstrucción y análisis de las trayectorias laborales de los ex obreros petroleros entrevistados aprehendiendo a través de ellas la particular configuración identitaria del trabajador "ypefeano". Finalmente analizamos cómo, con la privatización de la empresa petrolera estatal, la identidad laboral de quienes eran sus trabajadores entró en crisis dando lugar a la construcción de nuevas identidades laborales

Trayectorias laborales fragmentadas en un contexto de privatización : Un estudio de caso en Argentina

Este artículo perseguimos el objetivo de comprender las consecuencias que la privatización y reestructuración productiva de la empresa estatal argentina Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (en adelante YPF) acarreó sobre las trayectorias laborales de sus ex trabajadores. Esta firma constituye un caso extremo del proceso de privatización de empresas públicas que tuvo lugar en Argentina en la década de 1990, proceso que presentó rasgos que en otros países se dieron de manera desarticulada. ;En este artículo en particular desarrollamos los resultados de una investigación empírica en la que enfocamos la mirada en las diferentes trayectorias laborales de los ex agentes de la refinería La Plata. Esta refinería se encuentra ubicada en la provincia de Buenos Aires y es una de las unidades productivas de refinación más importante de Argentina y América Latina. ;A partir de un estudio que complementa técnicas de investigación cualitativas y cuantitativas analizamos las diferentes trayectorias laborales seguidas por los ex obreros petroleros de esta refinería, con la idea de identificar aquellos factores que nos permitirían comprender dichas diferencias

La privatización de la identidad petrolera : De la ilusión la desarraigo

En el presente trabajo estudiamos el proceso de conformación y fragmentación identitaria de los ex trabajadores de una de las empresas petroleras estatales de América Latina más ;importante que fue privatizada en los años 90, la compañía Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) de la República Argentina. La identidad laboral de los ex trabajadores petroleros será aprehendida a partir de la reconstrucción de las trayectorias laborales de veinte ex obreros de la Refinería ubicada en la ciudad de Ensenada, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Así entonces en primer lugar presentamos las relaciones existentes entre el mundo del trabajo (la fábrica) y la comunidad de Ensenada en sentido amplio durante los años de auge de la producción petrolera estatal para mostrar la importancia que esta relación tuvo en las identidades de los trabajadores petroleros. En segundo lugar desarrollamos un apartado teórico en el que especificamos el concepto de identidad laboral que utilizamos. En tercer lugar realizamos la reconstrucción y análisis de las trayectorias laborales de los ex obreros petroleros entrevistados aprehendiendo a través de ellas la particular configuración identitaria del trabajador "ypefeano". Finalmente analizamos cómo, con la privatización de la empresa petrolera estatal, la identidad laboral de quienes eran sus trabajadores entró en crisis dando lugar a la construcción de nuevas identidades laborales

Trayectorias laborales fragmentadas en un contexto de privatización : Un estudio de caso en Argentina

Este artículo perseguimos el objetivo de comprender las consecuencias que la privatización y reestructuración productiva de la empresa estatal argentina Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (en adelante YPF) acarreó sobre las trayectorias laborales de sus ex trabajadores. Esta firma constituye un caso extremo del proceso de privatización de empresas públicas que tuvo lugar en Argentina en la década de 1990, proceso que presentó rasgos que en otros países se dieron de manera desarticulada. ;En este artículo en particular desarrollamos los resultados de una investigación empírica en la que enfocamos la mirada en las diferentes trayectorias laborales de los ex agentes de la refinería La Plata. Esta refinería se encuentra ubicada en la provincia de Buenos Aires y es una de las unidades productivas de refinación más importante de Argentina y América Latina. ;A partir de un estudio que complementa técnicas de investigación cualitativas y cuantitativas analizamos las diferentes trayectorias laborales seguidas por los ex obreros petroleros de esta refinería, con la idea de identificar aquellos factores que nos permitirían comprender dichas diferencias

La privatización de la identidad petrolera : De la ilusión la desarraigo

En el presente trabajo estudiamos el proceso de conformación y fragmentación identitaria de los ex trabajadores de una de las empresas petroleras estatales de América Latina más ;importante que fue privatizada en los años 90, la compañía Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) de la República Argentina. La identidad laboral de los ex trabajadores petroleros será aprehendida a partir de la reconstrucción de las trayectorias laborales de veinte ex obreros de la Refinería ubicada en la ciudad de Ensenada, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Así entonces en primer lugar presentamos las relaciones existentes entre el mundo del trabajo (la fábrica) y la comunidad de Ensenada en sentido amplio durante los años de auge de la producción petrolera estatal para mostrar la importancia que esta relación tuvo en las identidades de los trabajadores petroleros. En segundo lugar desarrollamos un apartado teórico en el que especificamos el concepto de identidad laboral que utilizamos. En tercer lugar realizamos la reconstrucción y análisis de las trayectorias laborales de los ex obreros petroleros entrevistados aprehendiendo a través de ellas la particular configuración identitaria del trabajador "ypefeano". Finalmente analizamos cómo, con la privatización de la empresa petrolera estatal, la identidad laboral de quienes eran sus trabajadores entró en crisis dando lugar a la construcción de nuevas identidades laborales

Trayectorias laborales fragmentadas en un contexto de privatización : Un estudio de caso en Argentina

Este artículo perseguimos el objetivo de comprender las consecuencias que la privatización y reestructuración productiva de la empresa estatal argentina Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (en adelante YPF) acarreó sobre las trayectorias laborales de sus ex trabajadores. Esta firma constituye un caso extremo del proceso de privatización de empresas públicas que tuvo lugar en Argentina en la década de 1990, proceso que presentó rasgos que en otros países se dieron de manera desarticulada. ;En este artículo en particular desarrollamos los resultados de una investigación empírica en la que enfocamos la mirada en las diferentes trayectorias laborales de los ex agentes de la refinería La Plata. Esta refinería se encuentra ubicada en la provincia de Buenos Aires y es una de las unidades productivas de refinación más importante de Argentina y América Latina. ;A partir de un estudio que complementa técnicas de investigación cualitativas y cuantitativas analizamos las diferentes trayectorias laborales seguidas por los ex obreros petroleros de esta refinería, con la idea de identificar aquellos factores que nos permitirían comprender dichas diferencias

Treatment of phenanthrene and benzene using microbial fuel cells operated continuously for possible in situ and ex situ applications

Bioelectrochemical systems could have potential for bioremediation of contaminants either in situ or ex situ. The treatment of a mixture of phenanthrene and benzene using two different tubular microbial fuel cells (MFCs) designed for either in situ and ex situ applications in aqueous systems was investigated over long operational periods (up to 155 days). For in situ deployments, simultaneous removal of the petroleum hydrocarbons (>90% in term of degradation efficiency) and bromate, used as catholyte, (up to 79%) with concomitant biogenic electricity generation (peak power density up to 6.75 mWm−2) were obtained at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 days. The tubular MFC could be operated successfully at copiotrophic (100 ppm phenanthrene, 2000 ppm benzene at HRT 30 days) and oligotrophic (phenanthrene and benzene, 50 ppb each, HRT 10 days) substrate conditions suggesting its effectiveness and robustness at extreme substrate concentrations in anoxic environments. In the MFC designed for ex situ deployments, optimum MFC performance was obtained at HRT of 30 h giving COD removal and maximum power output of approximately 77% and 6.75 mWm−2 respectively. The MFC exhibited the ability to resist organic shock loadings and could maintain stable MFC performance. Results of this study suggest the potential use of MFC technology for possible in situ/ex situ hydrocarbon-contaminated groundwater treatment or refinery effluents clean-up, even at extreme contaminant level conditions.

CHARACTERIZING AND IMPROVING PRODUCTION OF FERMENTABLE SUGARS AND CO-PRODUCTS FROM A FOREST PRODUCT INDUSTRY WASTEWATER STREAM

Hardboard processing wastewater was evaluated as a feedstock in a bio refinery co-located with the hardboard facility for the production of fuel grade ethanol. A thorough characterization was conducted on the wastewater and the composition changes of which during the process in the bio refinery were tracked. It was determined that the wastewater had a low solid content (1.4%), and hemicellulose was the main component in the solid, accounting for up to 70%. Acid pretreatment alone can hydrolyze the majority of the hemicellulose as well as oligomers, and over 50% of the monomer sugars generated were xylose. The percentage of lignin remained in the liquid increased after acid pretreatment. The characterization results showed that hardboard processing wastewater is a feasible feedstock for the production of ethanol. The optimum conditions to hydrolyze hemicellulose into fermentable sugars were evaluated with a two-stage experiment, which includes acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. The experimental data were fitted into second order regression models and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed. The results of the experiment showed that for this type of feedstock enzymatic hydrolysis is not that necessary. In order to reach a comparatively high total sugar concentration (over 45g/l) and low furfural concentration (less than 0.5g/l), the optimum conditions were reached when acid concentration was between 1.41 to 1.81%, and reaction time was 48 to 76 minutes. The two products produced from the bio refinery were compared with traditional products, petroleum gasoline and traditional potassium acetate, in the perspective of sustainability, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emission as an indicator. Three allocation methods, system expansion, mass allocation and market value allocation methods were employed in this assessment. It was determined that the life cycle GHG emissions of ethanol were -27.1, 20.8 and 16 g CO2 eq/MJ, respectively, in the three allocation methods, whereas that of petroleum gasoline is 90 g CO2 eq/MJ. The life cycle GHG emissions of potassium acetate in mass allocation and market value allocation method were 555.7 and 716.0 g CO2 eq/kg, whereas that of traditional potassium acetate is 1020 g CO2/kg.